Ahhhh Guinness. Blood of the Irish, meal of the boozehound, partner in the car bomb, the reason everyone loves St. Patty’s Day. The accolades could go on and on. Entire bars in New York are dedicated just to serving Guinness, and among beers, it might be considered king. Actually, king may be selling it short. Perhaps it should be the supreme imperial ruler of beerdom? Ok, so I got a little distracted and had to stop writing this and buy one in the middle. Believe it or not I was not always a Guinness convert, let alone a Guinness drinker until 2 years ago when on St. Patrick's Day I finally gave in to my initial distaste for it and gave it a second chance. Thank god I did. Like a moment of clarity I realized that it was not as filling as I had originally thought (why I didn’t like it) and had an amazing creaminess and taste that countless other beers tried to match, but never could. Guinness is always poured the same way, and then enjoyed quite quickly. Although a very dark and creamy beer, with almost a nutty and sweet flavor, the bitterness of many British/Irish beers is unmistakable. Instead of talking about how great Guinness is, I think this quote from Time Out New York is all anyone needs to know:
A perfect pint leaves a totally 'laced' [froth-lined] glass. To enjoy all the attributes of its flavor, fill your mouth to engage the taste buds: The sweetness from the front of the tongue, where the malt has impact; then the roastiness of Guinness at the sides of the tongue where the salty-sour buds lie; then the lingering bitterness at the back of the mouth - a full swig gives you all these sensations, along with a wondrous mouth-feel.
Number of Beers Drank in one Sitting: 3-4 (Depending on how much you like dark beer)
Pair with Food: Only if it's really good corned beef and cabbage
Manna for the Gods
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